Is The Art Of Test Batting Dying? Why 28 Wickets At Lord's Tell A Bigger Story

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

South African batters struggling in WTC 2025 Final [Source: AP Photos]South African batters struggling in WTC 2025 Final [Source: AP Photos]

The World Test Championship Final at Lord's provided a stark reminder of modern cricket's batting dilemma. With 28 wickets falling in just two days, the match exemplified a trend that has cricket analysts questioning whether we're witnessing the gradual death of batting in Test cricket.

The Lord's Massacre: A Microcosm of Modern Cricket

Fourteen wickets fell on each of the first two days of the WTC Final, creating a total of 28 wickets in six sessions. This extraordinary bowling dominance saw Australia take a commanding 218-run lead despite modest totals of 212 and 144/8 (end of Day 2), while South Africa managed just 138 in their first innings.

Pat Cummins' 6/28 represented the best bowling figures by a captain at Lord's and in WTC Final history, while Kagiso Rabada (3/44) and Lungi Ngidi (3/35) demonstrated how pace bowling continues to dominate modern Test cricket.

The Global Batting Crisis: Recent Evidence

The batting struggles aren't isolated to Lord's. Recent months have witnessed historically low scores that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. India's collapse to 46 against New Zealand in October 2024 marked their third-lowest Test total and lowest-ever score at home, following their infamous 36 all-out against Australia in Adelaide in 2020.

Only two Indian batters - Yashasvi Jaiswal (13) and Rishabh Pant (20) - reached double figures in Bengaluru, while five players were dismissed for ducks. This pattern of spectacular collapses has become increasingly common across all major cricket nations.

Format Convergence: The T20 Effect

The divergent batting performances highlight a fundamental shift in cricket. This decade's overall batting strike rate is the highest since the 1900s, while the average is at its lowest in 70 years. This suggests batters are scoring faster but failing more frequently.

The type of player getting picked has changed. It's not just about having a perfect technique anymore; selectors now look for batters with quick hands and strong weight transfer, skills honed in T20 cricket - this explains the modern selection philosophy.

Evolution, Not Death

The evidence suggests we're witnessing evolution rather than extinction. The percentage of drawn matches has declined rapidly over the past four decades, with the 2020s recording the lowest proportion of drawn Tests since the 1900s. This indicates that while batting has become more volatile, it has also made Test cricket more result-oriented.

The 28 wickets at Lord's, India's recent collapses, and England's Bazball success represent different facets of the same phenomenon: Test cricket's transformation from a survival-based to an aggression-based format. Modern batters must master both T20-style attacking and traditional defensive skills – a challenging evolution that explains both the spectacular failures and remarkable successes we're witnessing.

Rather than mourning the death of batting, cricket should embrace this dynamic new era where every session carries the potential for dramatic momentum shifts.